


The First Part

by ProfessorRiverSnog



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Bonding, Bunty's got it bad, F/M, Gen, Newt is clueless, Pining, Tina is sympathetic, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-26 00:54:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20035165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProfessorRiverSnog/pseuds/ProfessorRiverSnog
Summary: "I wanted to meet you. I did." Bunty told her, eyes downcast. "See the real you, not the storybook. Wanted to see what he saw. The girl who’s picture he carried.”~~~~~~~~~~~~~Tina meets Bunty for the first time and elightens Newt about some things.





	The First Part

It all happened so fast that Tina barely registered the wound in her side. What had started as a routine return of the Zouwu to its native China had turned into a firefight. If Tina was honest with herself the idea of two prominent fighters against Grindelwald’s advances entering a forgein territory alone was a horrible idea. By the time they had entered a foothold to release the creature, they were surrounded. Spells wizzed so fast by her that Tina lost count of how many of them there were. Shouts of protegos and stupifys were soon drowned out as Newt released the creature. The Zouwu made short work of the dark wizards however a spell that landed too close to the creatures chest caused it to lash back towards her. Tina felt a blinding pain but hobbled back to throw a few more curses at their enemies. She vaguely felt the blood seeping through the gash in her blouse as she advanced and although Newt was next to her his shout of her name felt far away. The last thing Tina remembered before her world went dark was the roar of the creature as bounded out of sight.

Tina awoke to the hum and roar of the docile creatures Newt normally kept in his case. A few blinks cleared her vision slightly and the haphazard cabin that surrounded her confirmed Tina’s suspicions that she was indeed in Newt's case. She was laid up in the camp bed he kept in there for his own journeys with a thin blanket draped over her form. The creak of a worn floorboard alerted that she was not alone. With a turn of her head she was able to see a figure bustling around in the workspace. The person moved about the space with such ease and confidence that, at first, Tina believed it to be Newt. The figure even had the same head of auburn curls but as the figure turned she realized it wasn’t Newt at all but a woman.

Newt had mentioned that he had an assistant to help him with his creatures however in the weeks after Paris Tina had never formally met the woman. Tina simply chocked it up to both women being extremely busy (which was very true) and assumed she would meet the woman at some point. Well this was as good a time as any.

“Hello.” Tina spoke out in a voice weaker than she would have liked. The woman turned quickly towards her, eyes wide with surprise and just a hint of dread. The redhead woman regarded her, taking her in. Tina could see a dozen emotions working behind her eyes as her hands repeatedly wrapped a rag about her fingers. Tina swallowed gently in the silence. “Hi. I’m…”

“Tina.” The two spoke at the same time. The woman seemed to shake herself out of her own reverie. “Of course. I’m Bunty.” She muttered. “Newts erm…..assistant.”

“Right.” Tina nodded. “He told me about you but I didn’t realize that you were in the case for the trip.” Bunty nodded, not meeting Tina’s gaze but not looking away either.

“Someone needed to stay with the Zouwu during the trip so…” she trailed off, just a hint of an edge to her voice. Tina nodded, trying to gain an understanding of Bunty’s tone.

“Well If I’d known I would have come down. Said hello.” Tina suggested, remembering her manners. But Bunty shook her head a bit too quickly.

“No that’s alright. I told Newt not to worry about that.” She told her, forcing a small smile to her lips.

Tina nodded and rose on her elbow to sit up. She cried out slightly as a sharp pain shot down her side. Bunty rushed to her side and helped her to sit up. She turned back to the work table and returned with a steaming mug.

“Here.” She muttered. “This should help.” Tina took the mug without question, sipping it slowly as she thought of things to say to the woman she assumed saved her.

“What happened?” She muttered, touching the bandages around her side.

“Got a bit too close to the Zouwu claw.” Bunty hummed gently, going to work on a few tinctures. “It was a nasty gash but some dittany and rest and you’ll be fine. Newt brought you down here while he fought the rest of them off.” Tina started.

“Are they still out there?” She asked, panic bubbling in the pit of her stomach at the thought of Newt alone in a firefight. Her anxiety calmed with the shake of Bunty’s head.

“When you were stable I went up to check on him. It was just him and Zouwu. He’s just finishing the transition.” Tina slumped against the wall gently, relieved to hear that Newt was safe. As she settled back on the cot, Bunty turned her back towards her again and the two women fell into another silence. Tina watched how the formerly fluid and confidence motions of the woman before her were now sharper and tenser. She watched as Bunty made every effort to ignore her, though the Auror could tell there was something else Bunty wanted to say. Perhaps a question on the tip of her tongue or another comment just itching to be said. Tina didn’t have to wait long to find out what was on her mind.

“He seemed quite worried about you.” Bunty told her over her shoulder. “When he came down he was absolutely mad, rushing about, laying you down, getting you things. He didn’t know what to do with himself.” She laughed but there was no mirth in her voice. “He asked me to please, _please_ take care of you. I told him I would before he rushed back out.” Tina listened to her soft, almost pensive voice. “

Thank you.” She managed, not trying to break her train of thought. However at the sound of her voice, Bunty turned to face her. Tina could practically see the statements rolling through Bunty’s brain before the woman settled on.

“Of course.”

Tina considered the woman before her. Though Newt had mentioned her briefly the details revolving around Bunty were surprisingly lacking, considering he saw her every day. Though, if Tina were being honest, the lack of detail is not at all surprising given who Newt is. Absent-minded at best, he probably didn’t regard details about his assistant as priority. Or rather didn’t think it would matter to Tina. Which it certainly did, she decided. Newt didn’t keep many friends so those who were privileged enough to be called that were certainly worth getting to know.

“How did you know my name?” Tina asked, suddenly aware of how odd that was, given that she had never met the woman. Bunty gave another mirthless chuckle before depositing herself next to the camp bed to check on Tina’s bandages.

“How could I not.” she told her, eyes trained on her work. “It was all he talked about when he came back from New York. Creatures escaping, an Obscurial and this Auror he met. I’d know you by your face shape alone. Merlin knows he spent hours describing it.” Tina went to speak but a twinge in her side stole the words from her. Reflexively, Bunty added a few more drops of the dittany. “Never thought I’d actually meet you. You almost seemed like something out of a storybook.” Tina watched Bunty’s hands slow to a stop, resting on the camp bed. Her eyes kept their gaze on her bandages. “But then Paris happened. And you were very much real and here and…” She inhaled sharply, her hands returned to wringing themselves in her lap. “I wanted to meet you. I did. See the real you, not the storybook. Wanted to see what he saw. The girl who’s picture he carried.”

Realization washed over Tina like the dawn. The hiding in the case during the trip, the frigidity in her speech, her aversion to her gaze. She knew the pain in her eyes. Knew it very well especially considering last year’s trials and misunderstandings. Bunty was in love with Newt. It was a plain as the braying of the creatures or the golden rays seeping into the cabin walls around her. And what was worse, Newt didn’t love her back. (Hushed conversations and stolen kisses in the dead of night had confirmed his affection for her.) So though Bunty knew him well, though she spent all of her time with him and shared his interests, he would never feel the same way about her. She had watched Newt’s affections jump from Leta to Tina, completely ignoring her. Unable to see her as perfectly good candidate for them. Yet she stayed by him, helping him, taking the small moments that she could. She deserved much more and Tina had a sneaking suspicion that both women knew that deep down.

And here she was. The object of Newt’s affection that he had asked, no _begged_, that she save. It could not have been easy on the woman. But again, she persevered. For Newt. And now, by extension, for her. Tina went speak, to offer words of comfort, but again her words were lost. This time to the untimely _snick_ of the case opening and the hasty form of the case’s owner coming down the ladder. Bunty jumped up as if on instinct and gazed upon him. But again Newt had no eyes for her. He rushed to Tina’s side and took her face in his hands as he sat on the camp bed.

“Tina.” he breathed, worry and tension seeming to evaporate from him at the sight of her. “Tina. You...are you alright?” Tina nodded gently, taking his hands in hers and pressing them into her lap.

“I’m fine.” She told him softly. “Just a scratch.” Her eyes shifted gently from his face to Bunty’s and watched as the woman’s eyes began to fill with sadness. “Bunty took real good care of me.” she smiled to the woman. Bunty nodded, stepping forward as Newt turned to her.

“The erm...the Zouwu claw did some damage but I think the dittany will take care of any infection.” she told him softly. Newt nodded.

“Thank you Bunty.” he said quickly before turning to Tina. Tina winced internally at Newt’s unintentional blow and watched as Bunty began to back away from them. She gripped his hands in hers and when he met her gaze, she motioned pointedly at Bunty with her eyes. Newt’s brow furrowed in confusion as he turned back towards his assistant. “Erm...thank you very much Bunty. We’re...in a safe house in Indonesia so if…”

“I’ll go see if there’s any food or supplies upstairs.” Bunty interrupted, eyes glassy. She swiftly moving towards the ladder and muttered a soft “Excuse me” before rushing up the ladder and out of the case.

Tina exhaled and pressed her eyes closed in sympathy as Newt turned back towards her. His confusion had only deepened and he searched Tina’s face for an explanation.

“Is everything alright?” Tina sighed.

“Yes.” she told him. “But also no.”

“What happened?” Newt began. “Did you two...fight?” he asked, the words seemed even more absurd to him as he spoke them aloud. Tina chuckled lightly.

“No. No fighting but Newt she’s…”

“Something happened to Bunty? Is she alright?” Newt asked, worry beginning to rise again until Tina pressed their hands together with a sigh.

"Let me finish?” She teased gently. Newt settled in beside her and listened. “Nothing’s wrong. But we did talk and she’s...well she’s going through what every woman goes through at some point in her life. She’s got it real bad for this fella. The kinda feelings that keep you up at night and drive you crazy. But this fella, he doesn’t love her back. And even though she thinks they’re perfect for each other, you can’t force someone to love you. So she has to watch him go about his life, seeing right through her.” She told him pointedly. The man dipped his head to the side, not fully understanding. Tina sighed and took his hands again. “Like she’s not even there.” Newt exhaled gently, his eyes widened as she caught Tina’s meaning. He worried his bottom lip with his teeth before looking back at her.

“Will it get better for her?” he asked. Tina nodded.

“Oh sure. She’s only in the first part. You see after you realize that he ain’t gonna love you back, you get angry. And think of all the reasons he’s the worst and how you’re better off without him. ” Newt swallowed gently, eyes even wider. “They may or may not be true.” she added. “But they make you feel better. Then you swear off fellas. Forever. Or so you tell yourself.” The pair shared a chuckle while Tina gazed pensively up. “And then your anger and sadness kinda dry up. And you feel just.....alright. You go about your life, focusing on other things. You stop thinking about him. Stop thinking about love. Or finding someone. You just focus on yourself.” She stopped gently, a smile ghosting her lips. “And then.” She looked to him as she saw a smile forming on his lips.

“And then?” Newt prompted softly.

“And then someone comes in out of the blue.” She muttered to him. “Catches you completely off guard.” Tina beamed gently to him, taking in the way his hands feel against her and the way his eyes seemed full of wonder as they stared back at her. “And he’s more than you ever thought you deserved.” She whispered into the space between them. Newt’s eyes softened and he brought her hand up, pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles.

“I understand.” Newt told her softly. Tina sighed as she rested back against the pillows, suddenly exhausted.

“I’m glad.” she hummed, yawning gently. “So be gentle with her. She’s only in the first part.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed. Just a small drabble that wouldn't leave me alone. As always, comments and kudos are largely appreciated!


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